Footage indicator for film handling apparatus



0. WlTTEL April 15, 1941.

FOOTAGE INDICATOR FOR FILM HANDLING APPARATUS Filed May 6, 1939.

0270 M ffe/ 4 INVENTOR ATTORN/ YS Patented Apr. 15, I

2,238,482 roo'rson mmcs'roa non FILM HANDLING APPABATU Otto Wittel, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Eastman Kodak Comp Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 6, 1939, Serial No. 272,253

' 5 Claims. (01. 88-16) The present invention relates to a footage indicator for a film handling apparatus and more particularly to a footage indicator which is automatically returned to a predetermined position when the cover for the apparatus casing is removed.

Although automatically returnable footage indicators are already known, such indicators are of the gear driven type and require disconnection of the gear drive for automatic return of the indicator. a

The primary object of the provisionof an intermittent engaging and advancing means for moving an indicating means and which is normally spaced therefrom so that automatic return of the footage indicator may be accomplished merely by removing the apparatus cover.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an intermittent advancing means for a footage indicator and of a resilient holding means which but which is actuated to engage and advance the indicating member.

the present invention is 1 I may prevent return of the footage indicator when Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description.

The above and other objects of are embodied in a film handling apparatus including a casing, a removable cover for enclosing said casing, an operating member carrying an abutment, an indicating means including a gradthe invention uated member which is biased to return normally to a predetermined position, an advancing means normally spaced from said graduated member and intermittently moved by said abutment into engagement with said graduated member for step by step advancement thereof. and a holding means arranged to be moved by closing of said cover and-to engage said indicating means to prevent the normal return of said graduated member and adapted when said cover is removed to per.-

mit the return of said graduated member to its predetermined I position. Preferably the advancing means comprises a pawl assembly indrawing wherein similar reference characters designate similar elements and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a camera equipped with an automatic indicating means according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal transverse section through a film handling apparatus carrying an automatically returnable footage indicator.

Fig-3 is a fragmentary side elevation .of the side of the camera opposite to that shown in Fig. 1.

While the present disclosure illustrates the invention with respect to a motion picture camera,

it is apparent that the automatic return for the footage indicator may be used on any type of film" handling apparatus. V

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention,

the apparatus comprises a casing l0 having a side wall II and a lateral wall I2. An objective assembly i3 is mounted on the front portion of lateral wall i2 and a finder system H is mounted upon the top portion of lateral wall I! and includes a handle l5. Said lateral wall i2 is provided around its outer edge with a groove l8, while the cover ll carries a tongue 18 which fits into said groove it when the cover I! is placed in closed position and which thereby forms a lighttightconnection between said casing i0 and cover i1, Said casing Iii and cover I! may be covered with a leather layer is or with any other suitable finish. Although no fastening means for the cover I! are shown, it is to be understood that said cover i I may be latched or otherwise detachably fastened to the casing iii in any well known manner. The camera casing i0 also contains a shutter housing 20 and a pressure pad 2| which together with the rear surface of housing 20 form a film gate. Film spools 22 are mounted in conventional fashion upon a spindle 23 also within casing i0.

The motive power for the apparatus is preferably derived from a spring motor assembly which comprises a shaft 24 journaled in a bushing 25 in ing 26 and its other end attached to shaft it. A driving gear 28 is mounted on motor housing 26 and'a pawl 29 engages a ratchet wheel, not

shown, on shaft 24 to prevent reverse movement thereof. A crank assembly includes a crank arm 30 which is provided with an opening it for engaging the flat. sides 32 on the end of shaft it. Such arrangement Oi'thfi spring motor is well known and upon winding ofcrank arm til-potential energy will be stored within the spring 2i oi the motor assembly and which potential energy is dissipated by operation of the film operating and advancing mechanisms within the camera.

I The indicating means according to the invention comprises a graduated member having a toothed periphery 3d, a disk and a sleeve Said graduated member and dish 35 are attached to sleeve 36 which is rotatably mounted upon a spindle er fastened at one end to side wall it of casing in A screw 38 is threaded into the other end of spindle 3T) and holds sleeve 36 thereon. A ferrule 39 is inserted into side wall ii, is provided with an index marl: 3d and carries a transparent window 363 through which the graduated member may be observed.

Said graduated member 33 also is engraved with a series of footage numerals adjacent the gradu ations 33' and. which in the instance shown range from ii to Mill.

Said indicating'means or member is normally returned to a predetermined position by means of a spring member ill and which preferably comprises a series of convolutions l2 loosely encircling sleeve 36 having one end fastened to dish 35 by a rivet 33 and having the other end fastened to a post 46 on side wall ll. Preferably the spring member just described is arranged mounted in the outer end of sleeve 35 and has a stem SE) for xtending beyond side plate 10 and for engagement with the cover ll. A plunger 50 is mounted in the other end of sleeve is and carries a friction pad 62 for engaging the face of dish 35 or the graduated member. A coil spring 53 is placed within sleeve 35 between said plunger-s 69 and iii. Said coil spring 53 is designed so that when cover ll! is removed from.

casing til the stern bit of plunger '69 is projected outwardly and friction pad 52 only lightly en= gages the face of dish 35 and spring member lfl can return the indicating member and graduated member 33 to its predetermined position. How-- ever, when cover ill is placedin closed position stem so and plunger #39 are depressed and coil spring 53 is placed under such tension that the i'riction pad 52 on plungerfifl engages the face of disk 35 with sufilcient friction to prevent the return of disk 35 and graduated member 33 to the normal or predetermined position by said spring member Q8.

' The advancing means for intermittently engaging and moving the indicating means is actuated by-an abutment or pin dd on motor hous c said other arm of bell crank 55.

absence ing 26. Said advancing means comprises a bell crank 55 pivotally mounted by a pin 56 to boss 5'5 on side wall it. One arm of 'bell crank 55 carries a nose 58, while the other arm of bell crank 55 carries a projection 58 which may strike against a stop pin 60 on side wall II. A spring arm 6| is mounted upon 'a stud 62 also on side wall ll. Said spring arm 6| urges bell crank 55 in a counter-clockwise direction as seen from Fig. 2 and moves projection 59 against stop pin til in which position the nose 58 is in the path or orbit of abutment 5a. The engaged surface of bell crank 55, such as the arcuate surface 53, is arranged so that the time of contact between abutment 54 and nose 58 is reduced to a minimum. As a result, the possibility of the springmotor being stopped with abutment 58 in engagement with nose 58 is practically eliminated and in fact the release means of the camera may be arranged in a known manner so that the spring motor cannot be stopped under tension with the abutment 5% in engagement with nose The'advancing means also includes a pawl assembly which comprises a pawl 6 pivoted to A second spring arm 65 is mounted on a stud 66cm side wall and bears against pawl 6d t'normally to urge it against a stationary guide pin till on said side wall ll. Said guide pin (Bl is located so that in normal position oi bell crank 55; the pawl ti l is spaced from the toothed periphery 3 3 of graduated member-3d. Thus at any time upon removal of the cover ill said pawl 66 will not interfere with the normal return by spring member ll of the graduated member 33 to its predetermined position.

When the abutment '50 engages nose 5d of hell crank 55, said pawl 66 is moved with re: spect to guide pin 6? and under the influence of spring arm W5 is directed toward and into en= gagement with the toothed periphery 3G to ad- Vance graduated member 33. The movement oi bell cranlr 55 by abutment 54 is also sufiicient to advance saidtoothed periphery 3G a distance which is more than the pitch of one tooth but less than the pitch or two teeth thereon. Ac cordingly, operation of the spring motor and ro== tation of motor housing 26 will cause intermit= tent actuation of bell crank by abutment [iii and intermittent engagement and advancement of the toothed periphery 36, of graduated member 33 by the pawl 66.

By virtue of the construction above described it will be apparent that each time that the cover ll! is removed from the camera the footage indicater or graduated member 33 thereof will be returned to a ll or predetermined position, How ever, when the cover ill is replaced or placed in closed position the stem 56] and plunger 38 will ,be depressed to place sumcient tension on coil spring so that friction pad 52 engages the face of disk and prevents such normal return of graduated member 83 to its predetermined posi-- tion under the influence oi spring member 46. As a result the total advancement of the toothed periphery 3d and graduated member 33 is now maintained because of the holding action of the Having now particularly described my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States and what I claim is:

1. In a film handling apparatus, the combination with a casin a cover for enclosing said casing and removable therefrom, an operating member carrying an abutment, and an indicating means including a graduated member which is 'biased to return normally to a predetermined said graduated member to prevent said normal return thereof but arranged to be released upon removal of said cover to reduce the pressure of said friction member against said graduated member and to permit the normal return of said graduated member to said predetermined position;

2. In a fil'mlhandling apparatus-the combination with a casing, a cover for enclosing said casing and removal therefrom, an operating member mounted for rotation and carrying an abutment, an indicating member having a plurality of teeth and carrying a graduated dial, and a spring mem ber connected to said indicating member for returning the same and said dial to a predetermined position, of an advancing means located to be intermittently actuated-by said abutment and including a pawl normally spaced from said indicating member but moved into engagement with the teeth thereof by the action of said abutment, and a holding means comprising a plunger having one end located to be operated by closing of said cover, a friction pad located to engage said indicating member,- and a spring member .placed under tension by said plunger and urging said friction pad against said indicatingmember to prevent normal return thereof to said predetermined position.

3. In a film handling apparatus, the combination with a casing, a removable cover for enclosing said casing, a rotatable operating member carrying an abutment, and an indicating member rotatably mounted, having a lateral face and a toothed periphery and carrying a graduated dial, and a spring member connected to said indicating member and for returning the same to a predetermined position, of a ratchet advancing means located to be intermittently actuated -by said abutment and including a pivoted pawl, a friction holding means including a plunger having one end located to be displaced by said cover in its closed position, a friction pad located frictionally to engage the lateral face of said indicating member, and a spring member between said plunger and pad, placed under suflicient tension by displacement of said plunger by said cover to move said friction pad into holding engagement with said lateral face, and a stationary guide member located to engage and space said pawl from the toothed periphery of said indicating member and around which said pawl moves upon actuation of said crank for movement into advancing engage.-

ment with the toothed periphery of said indicating member.

4. In a film handling apparatus, the combination with a rotatable operating member carrying a projection, an indicating member rotatably mounted, having a toothed periphery and carrying a graduated dial, and a holding means engaging said indicating member to prevent free rotation thereof, of a pawl assembly including a pivotally mounted crank having a protuberance normally moved into the path of said projection, and a pawl pivoted to said crank and normally urged toward the toothed periphery of said indicating member, and a stationary guide pin located to engage and hold said pawl in spaced relation to said toothed periphery of the indicating means and around which the pawl is moved and into advancing engagement with said toothed periphery when said crank is pivoted by said projection on the operating member.

-5. In a film handling apparatus, the combination with a casing provided with a window, a cover for enclosing said casing, a spring motor rotatably mounted in said casing and carrying a pin, an indicating means comprising a graduated member rotatably mounted opposite said window and a I spring member for returning said graduated member to a predetermined position, and a holding means including a resilient plunger located to be operated by closing of said cover and carrying a friction pad which is pressed against said graduated member to prevent the normal return thereof to said predetermined position, of an advancing means comprising a bell-crank pivoted to said casing, a spring acting upon said bellcrank to move one arm of said bellcrank into the path of said pin for movement thereby, a pawl pivoted to the other arm of said bellcrank, a stud on said'casing, and a second spring urging said pawl against said stud which is located tohold said pawl out of engagement with said gradu ated disk.

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